Galápagos finches use their beaks to crush seeds and sing songs, so what happens to their musical trills when their beaks change to respond to new menus available under drought? Jeffrey Podos and Katie Schroeder found that the song might not remain the same after six cumulative future drought events that would likely reshape the finch beak. The projected changes in male mating songs could be so significant that they provide a pathway for ecological speciation, the researchers suggest. The researchers tested this idea by digitally modifying ...

Newly discovered microscopic mucus tails – trailing from particles of marine snow particles – slow these particles’ descent into the deep ocean, research finds. This doubles the particles’ residence time in the ocean's upper layers and significantly alters estimates of how much carbon is sequestered in the deep sea. The oceans serve as a vast reservoir and critical sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide. A key process driving carbon sequestration in the ocean is the biological pump, where photosynthetic activity ...

Europe is facing a seed dispersal “crisis,” due to extinction threats and population changes among the animals that do the seed dispersing, according to a new synthesis by Sara Beatriz Mendes and colleagues. Their literature review of animal and plant dispersal pairs helped them reconstruct the first European-wide seed dispersal network. Seed dispersal by animals is a critical part of maintaining healthy ecosystems, especially in fragmented environments like those found throughout Europe. Lack of seed dispersal to connect populations could prevent declining plant populations from ...

Researchers have documented a shift in plant species ranges toward the poles or higher latitudes in the face of climate warming, but Pieter Sanczuk and colleagues now reveal another unexpected pattern of range shift. For decades, understory plants in European temperate forests have been on the move westward, spurred by differences in nitrogen deposition rates. Westward species distribution shifts were 2.6 times more likely than northward ones, according to the researchers, who also noted that forest canopy changes played a role in this shift as well. The findings suggest that factors beyond climate change, such as atmospheric pollution, are also an important part of redistributing biodiversity. ...

Pasadena, CA—The world’s freshwater lakes are freezing over for shorter periods of time due to climate change. This shift has major implications for human safety, as well as water quality, biodiversity, and global nutrient cycles, according to a new review from an international team of researchers led by Carnegie Science’s Stephanie Hampton. Undertaken by scientists based in the United States, Canada, and Sweden, this analysis represents a major call-to-action for wintertime freshwater ecology research. It is published in Science. The world has millions of freshwater lakes, most of which freeze during the winter. The team’s rigorous review indicates ...

Pipetting liquids into tiny test tubes, analyzing huge datasets, poring over research publications—all these tasks are part of being a scientist. But breaking this routine is essential. Time away from the usual work environment can spark creative ideas. Lab retreats, for instance, offer a great setting where researchers can engage with other peers, often leading to new collaborations. The latter was true for Bernat Corominas-Murtra and Edouard Hannezo from the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA). Fascinated by a dataset showcased during a poster session at a collaborative ...

There is variability in when and how cells divide during the development of embryos. While researchers traditionally believed this variability was an obstacle that needed to be regulated, the Hiiragi group now found that it actually promotes healthy development. The results, published in Science on 11 October 2024, encourage other scientists to see the potential of variability and could have significant impact on assisted reproductive technology.  An embryo consists of cells. These cells divide to make new cells, allowing the embryo to grow. The cells experience variability in how and when they divide and in how they interact with each other. Scientists ...

New Stanford-led research unveils a hidden factor that could change our understanding of how oceans mitigate climate change. The study, published Oct. 11 in Science, reveals never-before seen mucus “parachutes” produced by microscopic marine organisms that significantly slow their sinking, putting the brakes on a process crucial for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The surprising discovery implies that previous estimates of the ocean’s carbon sequestration potential may have been overestimated, but also paves the way toward improving climate models and informing ...

New research reveals nitrogen pollution, and to a lesser extent climate change, unexpectedly as the key driver behind surprising westward shifts in the distribution of plants. A recent study has uncovered that many European forest plant species are moving towards the west due to high nitrogen deposition levels, defying the common belief that climate change is the primary cause of species moving northward. This finding reshapes our understanding of how environmental factors, and in particular nitrogen pollution, influence biodiversity. While it is widely assumed that rising temperatures are pushing many species toward cooler, northern areas, this research shows that westward ...

About The Study: This cross-sectional study of pregnant and nonpregnant women of reproductive age found that vitamin A, vitamin C, and iron intake decreased over the past 2 decades, which may have substantial maternal and fetal health implications. By identifying these nutrient gaps and trends in inadequate intake in this at-risk population, scientific, health care, and regulatory communities may be better poised to adopt recommendations to improve nutrient intake.  Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Derek Miketinas, PhD, RD, email dmiketinas@twu.edu. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website ...

About The Study: More than half of the 1,962 U.S. physicians included in this study who peer reviewed for the most influential medical journals received industry payments in 2020-2022, with most payments for research. Research payments, especially those provided to an institution, may have different implications than general payments for conflicts of interest. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Christopher J. D. Wallis, MD, PhD, email wallis.cjd@gmail.com. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jama.2024.17681) Editor’s Note: Please see the article ...

In a new, large comprehensive analysis led by the American Cancer Society (ACS), researchers, using a form of Artificial Intelligence (AI), found that more than one-third of fundraising stories on the GoFundMe crowdfunding platform in the United States explicitly shared experiences of medical financial hardships and health-related social needs (HRSNs). The fundraising stories included hardships such as housing and food insecurities, transportation barriers, income loss, lack of sick leave, and disruptions to both work and school. The findings are published today ...

The portion of our nervous systems responsible for the “fight or flight” response can shape the severity of potentially deadly C. difficile infections, new research from the University of Virginia School of Medicine reveals. The findings suggest that doctors may be able to save patients from the infections – a plague for hospitals and nursing homes – by using drugs to quiet the hyperactive nervous system response, the researchers say. “Compared to how much we know about immune system influences in C. difficile infections, the field is just scratching ...

Results of the first phase of a Ceramide Ring Trial have just been published in the renowned journal Nature Communications, representing a significant landmark in the field of lipidomics. This achievement, involving researchers at the University of Vienna and scientific teams in Singapore, Julich and Espoo, represents a groundbreaking advance in the establishment of ceramide reference values, plasma lipids involved in such as cardiovascular diseases. The ring trial was performed under the umbrella of the International Lipidomics Society ...

Seoul National University(SNU) College of Engineering announced that a joint research team led by Professor Ki Tae Nam from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at SNU and Professor Junil Choi from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) has developed a novel visible light communication encryption technology with high security using chiral nanoparticles.   Just as a lighthouse provides a guiding beam in the vast darkness of the sea, light-based information transmission has been a crucial means of communication throughout human history. ...

DURHAM, N.C. – Researchers from the HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN) presented results from HPTN 091 (“I Am Study”) at the HIVR4P 2024 conference in Lima, Peru. The study examined the acceptability and feasibility of an integrated multicomponent strategy to enhance daily oral HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) uptake and adherence among transgender women in a randomized immediate versus deferred design. The integrated care strategy included the provision of gender-affirming hormone ...

INDIANAPOLIS --More than 8 million people, ages 40 and older, living in the U.S. are affected by peripheral arterial disease, a lifelong medical condition and the most common cause of limb amputation in the country. A data scientist, health services researcher and vascular surgeon who studies health equity, Andrew A. Gonzalez, M.D., J.D., MPH, of the Regenstrief Institute and the Indiana University School of Medicine, has received a 2024 Ralph W. and Grace M. Showalter Research Trust award to conduct a new study, Exploring Causes of Racial Disparities in Amputation Rates in Indiana. Dr. ...

Mount Sinai’s Department of Rehabilitation and Human Performance has announced the grand opening of the Cohen Center for Recovery From Complex Chronic Illnesses (CoRE), providing clinical care for patients with conditions such as long Lyme disease/Lyme+, long COVID, and other infection-associated complex chronic illnesses such as myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS). Supported by philanthropy from various donors, including an inaugural gift from Beth and ...

PHILADELPHIA— A $14M grant will fund research on gene-editing therapies for rare metabolic diseases at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). The research will focus specifically on developing therapies for urea cycle disorders, which impact roughly 1 in every 35,000 children. Using a form of CRISPR technology, the ultimate vision of the four-year grant is to create a platform for rapid development of personalized gene-editing therapies for ...

Imagine yourself sometime in the far future aboard a routine rocket to Mars. Someone just spilled their drink. Without gravity, it collects in floating blobs that ripple right before your eyes. Now freeze. What you see might look something like the above image from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory’s (CSHL’s) Cheadle lab. But those purple and green blobs aren’t the floating remains of somebody’s drink. They’re mysterious cells in the brain’s visual cortex called OPCs. The visual cortex processes everything we see. Incoming visual information is ...

In many countries in Africa, up to nine out of ten children suffer from a skin problem, and there are far too few local dermatologists. Artificial intelligence could help with diagnosis, but needs to be trained with the relevant images, so researchers have created a new data set for dark skin tones. Demand is high, the lack of dermatologists acute: in many countries in Africa, there is less than one dermatology specialist per one million people – compared to the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation of ...

Smiling during conversations creates warmth, making people feel more comfortable and connected. For example, a friendly smile when meeting someone new can ease nervousness. A smile can soften tension in a debate, showing respect among the participants despite disagreement. In fact, extensive studies have been conducted in the past in an attempt to understand smiling interactions in a natural conversation. Despite these studies, however, little is known about the extent to which one’s smile influences or gets affected by the other person’s smile during a conversation. A new study sought to investigate this by quantifying ...

The British Heart Foundation (BHF) Data Science Centre, led by Health Data Research UK, is hosting an open challenge which invites competitors to explore the potential of Artificial Intelligence to improve the use of electrocardiogram (ECG) for cardiovascular disease patient care. The challenge has been co-designed with members of public and patients affected by cardiovascular disease. The BHF Data Science Centre is collaborating with experts from the University of Edinburgh to use a synthetic imaging dataset made up of approximately 20,000 simulated electrocardiogram (ECG) images. Competitors will be invited to develop algorithms which can make ...

Statement Highlights: Previous studies have found that 14-81% of patients with heart failure experience some degree of cognitive impairment affecting language, memory or executive function. Evidence also indicates that people with atrial fibrillation have a 39% increased risk of memory or thinking problems; adults with heart disease have a 27% higher risk of developing dementia; and up to 50% of individuals experience cognitive decline after a heart attack. Managing heart health from an early age is important, not only for preventing heart disease but also for protecting brain health and reducing the risk of cognitive impairment in later life. Embargoed until 4:00 a.m. CT/5:00 ...

In an era when online misinformation is seemingly everywhere and objective facts are often in dispute, UC Berkeley psychologists in a new study have presented a somewhat paradoxical partial solution: Expose young children to more misinformation online — not less.  Doing so in limited circumstances, and with careful oversight and education, can help children gain the tools they'll need to sort fact from fiction online, said Evan Orticio, a Ph.D. student in UC Berkeley’s Department of Psychology and lead author of a paper published today ...